I have been thinking about this topic for the last few weeks, as it was one that came up quite a bit during our recent strategic planning sessions at the Senior Center, and I think it is an important message for the community to know about.
For those who are unaware (like I was), Blue Zones are areas of the world in which people tend to live longer and be more involved in the community as they age. The original Blue Zones identified by researchers in 2004 were: Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California.
There are several core principles that researchers found that all Blue Zones have in common: Move Naturally, Live with Purpose, Know how to Down Shift, Eat Wisely (80% Full rule, Plant Slant, and Wine at Five aka Drinking in Moderation/socially), Connect with your Tribe, Prioritize Loved Ones, and Belonging. There are now Blue Zone projects all over the United States (including some preliminary work in the Village of Vicksburg!) that seek to use these principles to create new Blue Zones in existing communities.
We have also been using these principles to design programming at the South County Senior Center. One that particularly stuck out to me was Purpose. In one of my previous positions, I worked at the (now closed) Pathways Clubhouse in Kalamazoo. There, we followed the “Clubhouse Model” of treating severe and persistent mental illnesses—the Clubhouse Model is a community-based approach to mental health recovery in which people with mental illnesses and staff work side by side in a supportive environment that emphasizes meaningful work, social connection, and opportunities for employment, education, and wellness. One of the sayings is “a place to belong” and one of the benefits is feeling a part of something bigger than oneself. It is always exciting when research from different areas agrees and this is one such example.
With those thoughts in mind, we have begun focusing on creating volunteer opportunities at the Senior Center, which help to satisfy Purpose, Connecting with your Tribe, and Belonging. In the Clubhouse, members had their own stake in the program and worked side by side with staff to both perform the necessary tasks of keeping it running (like data entry, cleaning, and cooking) and also voted on all major decisions. As our Senior Center grows, we are trying to design things so that some of that extra work—and decisions—are taken on by the seniors who are members of the Senior Center. We are also excited that the Village of Vicksburg has begun incorporating some of this research in their own planning and hope for some synergy in upcoming projects!
If you are interested in learning more about Blue Zones, there is a documentary on Netflix called Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones that goes through the history of the project, supporting research, and how to implement Blue Zones in your own life and community. It is highly recommended!
Drew Johnson lives in Kalamazoo and is the Director at South County Community Services. He has a small quarter acre homestead with chickens, bees, and hops (and more!), a wonderful wife, and three energetic children. He can be reached at 649-2901 or ajohnson@southcountycs.com
For more information on South County Community Services, please check out our Facebook page at facebook.com/southcountycs or our website: southcountycs.com.
